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 << Newsletters from the past                                                                                                                            << May 2006

Creative News
 

Creative Travel named
"Most Professional Business Tour Operator"
in India

April 28, 2006 - SATTE, 2006, the 13th South Asian Travel & Tourism Exchange was held at the prestigious Pragati Maidan exhibition center in New Delhi from 21st - 23rd April, 2006.

The concluding event of SATTE was the award ceremony where Creative Travel was honored  as the "Most Professional Business Tour Operator in India". This award was based on selections by a jury of prominent hoteliers in the country. The fact that this award is based on voting by the industry itself makes it more special as it is a recognition of the excellence that Creative strives for. This is the first time this award has been given to anyone.

 


(Click the image for closer look)

Rajeev Kohli, Director of Marketing receiving the award at the SATTE Awards Dinner

 

 

Welcome to another edition of "Creatively Yours", the newsletter from Creative Travel India.  

Dear Industry Colleagues :

Here is another issue of "Creatively yours'. We started this edition with a news that made us in Team Creative most proud. Being recognized by the Indian hotel fraternity as the most professional business tour operator is something that proves that we must be doing something right. Over the past 29 years, Creative Travel has strived to be good business partners. The fact that hotels seem to respect us is a direct benefit to our clients as that respect is reflected in the service levels and attention our guests receive at these hotels.


With summer here and business going into its traditional off-season mode, we at Creative would like to invite our international partners to come and visit this magnificent destination. We would be delighted to offer you special privileges and prices for familiarization trips to our region. Just ask.


And don't forget to take advantage of off season deals for your clients. Summer is a great time to see India. Prices are lower and sites less crowded. We at Creative Travel can design special packages that make traveling even in the Indian summer fun and exciting. See our special deals from Oberoi and Taj hotels below. Ask us for details.

We appreciate the support our partners all over the world have shown us. It is with your partnership that Creative is where it is today. For those of you with whom we have not had the pleasure of working with, all I can say is try us and see the Creative magic for yourself.

Through "Creatively Yours" we hope to keep you informed on the latest news in Team Creative and the destination. We hope you find this to be useful.

Have a Creative Day !

Rajeev Kohli
Director of Marketing
Creative Travel India

Established in 1977, Creative Travel has grown to be among India's leading Destination Management Companies covering all of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Tibet. This region is a special place for  travelers and our vast experience in handling clients from all over the world allows us to create the most memorable programs for you. 

 
 

In this Edition.......
 


 

Where you can find us next

 


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Special Offer from Creative Travel & Oberoi Hotels
 
 

Experience Exotic India with Oberoi resorts
This summer, enjoy a bonus of upto 7 extra nights, with our compliments!
At every Oberoi hotel and resort, you can experience India in its true spirit of royal hospitality, palatial comfort, grand architecture and elegant style. Create your own exotic itinerary between Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ranthambhore or Shimla in the Himalayas. Get pampered with the glorious cuisine of India while our spas revitalise you with Ayurvedic massages and Yoga sessions.

Agents booking this package through Creative Travel can get special commission.

For more details click here or email us.

  


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Special Offer from Creative Travel & Taj Hotels

 
 

Incredible Escapes with Taj Hotels

May - September 2006 
Stay for 6 nights, pay for 3.....Stay for 10 nights, pay for 5......Stay for 14 nights, pay for 7......& more....

Taj Hotels has launched a special deal for the traveler who wants to stay in some of their unique properties, but is on a budget.

Participating hotels (any combination and in run of the house rooms): Taj Palace Hotel New Delhi, The Ambassador Hotel Delhi, Taj President Mumbai, Taj Connemara Chennai, Jai Mahal Palace Jaipur, Taj Hari Mahal Jodhpur, Usha Kiran Palace Gwalior, Taj View Agra, Taj Ganges

 



 



 

Varanasi, Hotel Chandela Khajuraho, Rawal Kot Jaisalmer, Taj Residency Aurangabad, Taj Malabar Cochin, Taj Residency Ernakulam, TGR Kumarakom, TGR Thekkady, TGR Varkala, Taj Green Cove Resort Kovalam, TGR Chikmagalur, Fisherman's Cove, TGR Madurai, TGR Coonoor, Hotel Savoy Ooty, Taj Exotica Goa, Taj Holiday Village Goa, Fort Aguada Beach Resort Goa, Taj Residency Lucknow and Taj Residency Calicut.

For more details click here or email us.


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Client Comment of the Month

 

We at Creative track client feedback very carefully. Each evaluation form gives us an insight on our operations and allows us to constantly refine our service delivery process. Now and then we get a few letters that brighten up our days. This is just one of them.

 Dimple;

Good morning from Madrid

I just wish to add a few words of gratitude on behalf of Columbia Spain and myself for the excellent handling of this very difficult situation.

I’m extremely grateful for the attention received by everyone in CREATIVE TRAVEL , who has helped both the client and his wife during this difficult situation. Read more...


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Destination News
 

Sri Lanka reverses clock by 30 minutes
The government of Sri Lanka has reversed the clock by 30 minutes effective from April 14, 2006 midnight, which means 00:30 hrs of April 15, 2006 will read as midnight April 14, 2006. As per the new timing, the 30 minutes time difference between India and Sri Lanka has been nullified w.e.f. Saturday, April 15, 2006, meaning the Sri Lankan time is the same as IST.
India unveils publicity campaign for tourism
India has unleashed a publicity blitzkreig and a host of other measures to put the country on the global tourism map as the ''most-favoured destination'' and to give impetus to the industry, one of the major foreign exchange earners and job providers. The government has kick started an ambitious training programme of various stakeholders to sensitise them in hospitality, organised road shows and trade fairs, developed new tourist destinations and joined hands with international tour operators to boost arrivals in the country.
 

Prince Charles and Camilla tour Punjab and Rajasthan
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived on 26 March for a visit. The royal couple visited host Indian cities like Chandigarh, Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, Jodhpur and Jaipur in Rajasthan. The Prince was keen to visit organic farms in the Bhat Majra village in Punjab. The focus of the couple was to take forward a range of charitable initiatives started in the area by the Prince and the British Indian community such as an organic farming and water conservation.

 

  

India offers to hold Pakistani film festival in Mumbai
Indian Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Ambika Soni has offered to organise a Pakistani film festival in Mumbai, India. Soni, who is on a visit to Lahore for the premiere of Indian film ‘Taj Mahal’, has asked the Pakistan government to decide when the event would be held. Soni also offered to screen Pakistani Punjabi films in Indian Punjab. She said that Pakistani plays were quite popular in several Indian states, adding that political, economic, and cultural relations were a part of the composite dialogue process between the two states. The acting governor said that people-to-people contact was a “good omen” for Indo-Pak relations and composite dialogue between the two countries would pave the way for durable peace in South Asia. staff report.
Sikkim joins hands with European countries to promote tourism
The Sikkim government recently entered into collaborative ventures with European countries to give a boost to tourism, horticulture and floriculture sectors in the state. Giving details the chief minister of Sikkim, Pawan Kumar Chamling said large scale foreign investments are expected in the field of tourism from these countries. The countries, which have showed interest in Sikkim are Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, the Netherlands and UK. The chief minister also said that France, one of the world leaders in tourism, has agreed to adopt the state for promoting investment in the tourism sector.

Melbourne Games put Spotlight on Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010
As the curtain came down on the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006, Delhi (the next venue) got 11 minute window to present its Mascot Shera the lion for the 2010 Games. The presentation by India showcased the culture and heritage of the country beginning with a yoga inspired dance performance followed by Bollywood’s Aishwarya Rai with another dance number. Other Bollywood stars followed with dance and music and dancers dressed as elephants, peacocks and butterflies took over the stadium with fireworks in the colours of Indian flag erupting from the roof of the stadium.
 

Beaches in Andaman Islands & Lakshadweep voted among world’s best
Former German tour operator Win De Ruiter, now an author, has rated both the Andaman Islands & Lakshadweep higher than Maldives and Seychelles as areas with the world’s best beaches. His Top 10 list, published in “The Independent”, rated beaches on factors such as quality of sand, colour and depth of water, and angle of the sun.

 

  

New one - and two - night cruises between Guwahati and Tarabari Ghat 
This autumn Assam Bengal Navigation is launching a series of one - and two - night cruises between Guwahati and Tarabari Ghat, the nearest point on the Brahmaputra to Manas National Park. These cruises provide an ideal means of linking the two top wildlife parks in Assam, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, since timings permit same day transfer by road between Kaziranga and the quayside in Guwahati. For the cruise schedules, click here.

Goa gears up to give a fillip to monsoon tourism
Goa this year will not have an 'off season' as far as tourism is concerned. The state tourism department has drawn out a proposal to attract tourists in the monsoon months as well. It plans to sell "rain drops" to nature-loving tourists. The idea to sell monsoon tourism package was floated as early as 1986 to attract travelers from the Gulf, but the concept did not quite take off. However, P Chidambaram, Union finance minister recently suggested that the state must make efforts to attract tourists throughout the year. The tourism department has now decided to encourage hoteliers to announce ‘special monsoon package’ between June to September.

Coorg recognized as The Sacred Grove Capital of the World
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has selected the Coorg district of Karnataka for its international initiative to conserve ancient sacred sites and termed it the grove capital of the world. The UNEP will provide money to conserve the centuries old traditions of conserving forests as a local deity by the Coorgis. Locally known as “Devara Kadu”, it is a traditional institution whereby a patch of forest in each village is devoted to the worship of the local deity. Spread over 346 villages of Coorg the size of “Devara Kadu” ranges between one acre to 1000 acres.

Now foreigners can feel at home in India
The tourism department in India is popularising the concept of home-stays in India. The concept of homestays entails staying with a family as their guest, being part of their daily lives and learning about their culture. The states where the idea is gaining acceptance are Karnataka, Goa and Kerala. Homestays in India can help overcome the acute scarcity in room supply in the budget category especially in cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

Outbound tourist is on the go – tourism industry set to expand 20 to 25 percent in current year.
As the Indian outbound graph surges ahead, the tourism Industry has more reasons to celebrate this summer with the sector expecting an increase of 20 to 25 percent in the current year as compared to the 5.5 million travellers last year. According to a Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) report, Sri Lanka is the fastest growing tourist destination for Indians, along with Malaysia, Mauritius, Dubai, Singapore and China, recording a 35 percent average annual increase since 2000. The country received 1,13,323, Indians in 2005 registering a 48 percent increase as compared to the previous year. However, the maximum inflow was witnessed by Dubai in 2005 with about 3,57,000 Indian travellers, which is expected to cross the 4,00,000 benchmark this year.

Sri Lanka's hospitality industry shows record growth in March

Sri Lanka's leisure industry greeted record 54,746 visitors in March, as key western countries warned nationals to avoid traveling to the north east of the country as violence intensified in the region. The tsunami-hit island welcomed 54,746 visitors (up 8.6 percent over 2005) in March, which helped swell arrivals for the three months to March 159,664, the Sri Lanka Tourist Board said. The tourist board hopes to greet 600,000 travellers this year, despite an upsurge in violence and travel alerts by U.S. and U.K. warning nationals not to visit the troubled northern and eastern regions.

Work on New Tourism Zones
The Sri Lankan government has begun work on new tourism zones, acquiring land for development so that it can be rolled out for investors by May this year. The first few zones will come up in Hambantota, Kalpitiya, Arugam Bay in the East and Trincomalee and will be dedicated areas for tourism development.


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Hotel News

India

Hotel room rates up 31% to Rs 5,859 in 2005-06
Average room rates (ARRs) of star hotels in eight major tourist spots in the country have climbed by 31 percent in the financial year-ended March 2006 to Rs 5,859 compared with Rs. 4,471 in the previous financial year.
 

Oberoi Grand Kolkata voted as the Best City Hotel in India
The Zagat Survey 2005, often referred to as the “Oscars” of the global hospitality industry, has rated the Oberoi Grand Kolkata as the best city hotel in India. The hotel was once known as one of the four jewels of the East, along with Raffles Singapore, Oriental Bangkok and Strand Rangoon.

 

  

Amanbagh and Oberoi Rajvilas win awards
In the latest issue of Travel+Leisure two Indian Hotels have won two of the most coveted awards :

  • T+L Design Awards 2006:
    The T+L design jury picked Amanbagh in Rajasthan as the Best Designed Resort.
     
  • World's Best Values:
    T+L readers have picked the Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur as the best value.

Five Best : Indian Jungle Retreats according to the The Independent – Online Edition
According to The Independent - Online Edition (April 2006), the five best Jungle Retreats in India are: Oberoi Vanyavilas, Taj Garden Retreat.......Click here to read more.

Starwood signs Two New Westin Hotels in India

Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to manage two new Westin hotels in India - The Westin Bangalore and The Westin Sohna Resort. Starwood also recently signed for a new Westin in Gurgaon, New Delhi. With the signing of The Westin Bangalore and The Westin Sohna Resort, Starwood now has 21 hotels and resorts in operation and under development in India under its Westin, Sheraton, and Le Meridien brands.
 

Indian Railways planning to set up over 100 budget hotels
The Railway Board has recently announced to build over 100 budget hotels on its vacant land near railway stations across the country. 40 sites have been approved. 5 sites have been selected for the first phase - Chandigarh, Sealdah, Madurai, Vijayawada and Secunderabad.  This is keeping in view the fact that the railway traffic is growing over 17 to18 per cent.
 

Taj Hotels launches GINGER hotel at Haridwar in Uttaranchal
The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) recently unveiled its GenNext 'Smart Basics' hotel - GINGER - in Haridwar. The first of the 'Smart Basics' hotels was launched in Whitefield, Bangalore and was called IndiOne. After completing the test marketing of the concept and following it with a fine-tuning of the hotel facilities and services, Taj is now ready to launch the Smart Basics concept all across India. These hotels will be launched with the new name – GINGER Hotels – incorporating a freshness that is simple yet stylish and reflects the warm world of Smart Basics with a price range of Rs 900 for a single room and Rs. 950 for a double room. Six more Ginger properties will open by the end of 2006 in Bhubaneshwar, Pune, Mysore, Thiruvananthapuram, Durgapur and Goa.

 



 


Sri Lanka

Triton Hotel, Ahungalla to reopen on 1st May
The Tritin Hotel, Ahungalla is scheduled to reopen after renovations on 1st May 2006. The Triton stands 75 km south of Colombo, on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach, midway between Bentota and Hikkaduwa, on Sri Lanka's west coast The Triton Hotel, an early creation of Sri Lanka's premier architect, Geoffrey Bawa, set new standards in Sri Lanka by becoming the first five-star hotel outside Colombo.

Kosgoda Beach Resort greets visitors
The Kosgoda Beach Hotel, built in line with the Wonderland concept in a water garden greets visitors to the resort with its new facelift which has been completed. Kosgoda Beach Hotel opened to the tourist from March 06. The hotel plans to attract up market leisure tourists where they could relax and enjoy their holiday in a picturesque surrounding. The Kosgoda Beach resort consists of 43 luxury chalets including 12 suites.


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Aviation News
 

Domestic

Jet Airways - Lufthansa Frequent Flyer Partnership
Jet Airways and Lufthansa German Airlines have entered into a reciprocal frequent flyer agreement. Frequent flyer members of both Jet Airways and Lufthansa will benefit by way of earning and redeeming frequent flyer miles while travelling across the network of the two airlines. This partnership is in effect from May 1, 2006.


Kingfisher introduces business class fares on Mumbai, Delhi, Goa and Kochi sectors
Kingfisher Airlines, recently introduced its premium service - Kingfisher First, which will redefine business class flying in India. Business travellers can now experience First Class Service between Mumbai, Delhi, Goa and Kochi at Business Class Fares. The Kingfisher First would have the plushest seats with a 48 inch pitch, 125 degree recline, adjustable headrests and fully extendable footrests, in-flight entertainment with the latest audio and video along with other premium facilities.

Jagson to start flights from Pondicherry
Jagson Airlines is the first commercial airline after 13 years to begin operations from Pondicherry from this month. The airline, which will fly an 18 seater Dornier will link Pondicherry to Chennai, Tirupati and Bangalore operating a total of 6 flights a day between these three sectors.
 

Sri Lanka

SriLankan Airlines to increase capacity to Calicut

SriLankan Airlines is to increase its capacity to the south Indian city of Calicut by upgrading its flights to the wide-bodied A330s. SriLankan Airlines currently operates eight flights per week from Colombo to Calicut. The gradual upgrading of flights to A330s for the Calicut route will see an increase in the number of seats from 140 on the existing A320 flights to 295.

SriLankan Air Taxi launches Weekend Scenic Flights

SriLankan Air Taxi, the domestic amphibious floatplane operations of SriLankan Airlines, is giving passengers the opportunity of an exhilarating water landing on the Bentota River with the launch of its Weekend Scenic Flights. Passengers already in Sri Lanka just need to proceed to the Ratmalana Domestic Airport – just south of Colombo – to take the departure flight to enjoy the unique amphibious aircraft experience. Flying just a few thousand feet above the ground – far lower than the height that commercial aircraft usually flies – SriLankan Air Taxi embarks on a route that offers breathtaking views of the diverse landscapes of Sri Lanka. Flights depart Ratmalana Domestic Airport at regular intervals on Saturdays and Sundays and every trip takes about half an hour.

SriLankan airlines boosts services to China
SriLankan Airlines will increase its Colombo-Beijing service and hopes to expand services to Shanghai by the end of 2006 in a bid to become the No.1 choice for Chinese travellers, according to a chief representative from the company. "By the end of 2006, SriLankan Airlines will increase its Colombo-Beijing service from three times a week to five times a week and will also expand services to Shanghai," said Chanaka Olagama, country manager with SriLankan Airlines China.

International

Indian Airlines starts service from Nagpur to Bangkok

India Airlines has started flying to Bangkok twice in a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

 

Turkish Airlines to operate flights on Mumbai-Istanbul sector three times a week
In addition to the current four flights a week from Delhi to Istanbul, Turkish Airlines will now commence a three times weekly service from Mumbai to Istanbul from May 2006. The service will operate on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from Delhi and on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from Mumbai.

Air Arabia connects Kochi and Jaipur to the Gulf
Air Arabia, the first international low-fares airline in India, announced that it would connect more destinations in India to the UAE with the addition of Jaipur and Kochi to its ever expanding list of routes. Flights to Sharjah from Kochi will commence from 1st May ‘06 and Jaipur from 12th May ‘06. Air Arabia will fly daily to Jaipur and four times a week to Kochi, every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday until 11th May ’06 and then daily to Kochi from 12th May ’06.

Dutch Airlines launches its fourth weekly flight
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has launched its fourth weekly flight between Amsterdam and Hyderabad to meet the increasing demand for international travel from the region.

Air India Express begins TN-Dubai flights
Air India Express, the low cost arm of Air India, will connect Trichy to Dubai by June 2006, making it the first Air India Express flight connecting Tamil Nadu to Dubai. It recently started Chennai – Kuala Lumpur and Chennai – Singapore with a frequency of six flights every week.

Aeroflot plans monthly inbound charters to Kerala in 2006
Aeroflot, Russian Airlines is looking at introducing monthly inbound charters into Kerala, which it sees as the next leading charter destination to compete with Goa. Having operated one charter to Trivandrum with 200 people last year, the Russian scheduled carrier is keen to connect more destinations in Kerala directly to Moscow in light of growing tourist interest for the state.


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Recipe of the Month

 

Pista Kulfi

Kulfi is the speciality of North Indians. It is made with boiled milk. It comes in many flavors, including malai, mango, pista (pistachio) and kesar (saffron). Kulfi differs from western ice cream in that it is richer in taste and creamier in texture. As well, where western ice creams are whipped with air or overrun, kulfi contains no air; it's a solid dense frozen milk.

On special demand of our readers, here is the recipe of Pista Kulfi.
Ingredients:

4 cups milk
8 tsp. sugar or to taste
1/2 tsp. ground green cardamom seeds (chotti elaichi)
1tbsp. skinned pista (pistachios), thinly sliced
1tbsp. skinned badam (almonds), finely ground (optional)
Rose Essence – 4-6 drops

  


Method:

  1. Put the milk into a wide, heavy pan and bring to boil over high heat, stiring constantly.
  2. Now lower the heat and cook the milk, stirring constantly, until it has thickened and reduced to about half. Stir the sides of the pan constantly to avoid scalding.
  3. Now add the sugar, nuts and cardamom seeds, stir well. Allow to cool.
  4. Once it is cool, add the rose essence.
  5. Pour the mixture into Kulfi molds or ice tray. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and freeze.
  6. To serve, remove the ice-cream from the molds by running a sharp knife around the edges of the pista kulfi. Slip each kulfi on to a dessert plate, cut across into 3-4 slices, and serve.


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Newsletters from the past:
 April 2006, March 2006, February 2006, January 2006, November 2005, October 2005, September 2005.


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Contact:
Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd.
Creative Plaza, Nanakpura, Moti Bagh, New Delhi 110021. INDIA
Tel : 24679192, 26872257-58-59, 26114281     Fax : ++91-11-26885886 / 26889764     Email : creative@travel2india.com
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